Making Connections Blog Hop

Making Connections Blog Hop

Hi!  Welcome to Masterpiece Quilting!

I'm Nancy Scott and I'm excited to be part of this blog hop where we celebrate the release of Dorie Hruska's latest book Making Connections: A Free-Motion Quilting Workbook with C & T Publishing. 

I've been longarm quilting since 2006 and it's always a challenge to come up with new and fresh ideas for quilting. Sure you can always stitch out an edge to edge pattern and call it finished but what really gets the attention is custom quilting that highlights the piecing.  This book is full of designs and techniques that are applicable for both domestic machine and longarm quilters and will allow you to do exactly that - get a custom quilted look without all the stops and starts.  

Sometimes my biggest challenge is deciding what designs I want to use, so I'm asking you to help me out.   Here is my new Christmas table runner that needs quilted.  I used my Let's Gather pattern to make it.

I want to quilt it so the quilting highlights the piecing but doesn't necessarily draw attention to my non-so-perfect piecing :)   so the techniques in Making Connections are perfect. 

Here's a close-up look at the block so you can see it better. 

From my design software, I exported the block diagram and printed it.  Then I began playing around and drawing some different quilting options that are in the Making Connections book.

Which quilting option do you like best?  

Another decision I have to make is thread color - which should I use?  Do I want to draw attention to the quilting or just let it subtly add texture?    Here are the first 5 thread cones I grabbed.  All of the threads are Superior So Fine 50wt. 

And here is a close-up so you can see the thread better.  I know I have a favorite picked out but I want to know what you think too!

For your input in helping me decide how to quilt my Let's Gather runner, C&T Publishing is giving away a free copy of Making Connections.  To enter, leave a comment with which thread color (gold, beige, yellow, red, green or suggest one) and which quilting option (a, b, c, d  or suggest one) that I should use. It's that easy!  After the blog hop ends on September 15th, I will select a winner and contact you for your mailing address.
**Note: Only winners with addresses within the US will receive a hard copy of the book. International winners will receive the e-book version.

To order a signed copy of Making Connections, here is the link to Dorie's website, Forever Quilting. 

Be sure to stay tuned to my blog - later this month I will have a show and tell post when I quilt my Let's Gather runner using your suggestions for quilting and thread. 

Also be sure to check out all the awesome quilting that is happening in this blog hop.

BLOG HOP SCHEDULE


Friday September 1st
C&T Publishing Blog: http://www.ctpub.com/blog/   IG:ctpublishing

Monday September  4th
Holly Anne Knight Blog: https://www.stringandstory.com/ IG: stringandstory
Susan Arnold Blog: www.quiltfabrication.com IG: quiltfabrication

Tuesday September 5th 
Becca Fenstermaker Blog:  www.prettypiney.com IG: prettypiney
Teri Lucas Blog: www.generationqmagazine.com IG: genqmag

Wednesday September 6th 
Sherry Shish Blog: https://poweredbyquilting.com IG: poweredbyquilting
Pam Morgan Blog: www.mysweetlittlestitches.com IG: sweetlittlestitches

Thursday September 7th 
Katy S Blog: www.katyquilts.net IG: katyquilts
Laura Piland Blog: www.sliceofpiquilts.com IG: sliceofpiquilts

Friday September 8th 
Suzy Webster Blog: https://websterquilt.blogspot.com IG: websterquilt
Bernie Kringel Blog: https://needleandfoot.com IG: needleandfoot

Monday September 11th
Jamie Mueller Blog: www.jamie@sunflower-quilts.com IG: sunflower_quilt
Nancy Scott Blog: http://masterpiecequilting.blogspot.com IG: masterpiecequilting

Tuesday September 12th 
Sherri Noel Blog: www.rebeccamaedesigns.com IG: rebeccamaedesigns
Anorina Morris Blog: www.sameliasmum.com IG: sameliasmum

Wednesday September 13th 
Yvonne Fuchs  Blog: https://quiltingjetgirl.com IG: quiltingjetgirl
Barbie Mills Blog: https://thequiltingmill.blogspot.com IG: thequiltingmill

Thursday September 14th 
Afton Warrick Blog: www.quiltingmod.com IG: quiltingmod 
Kathy Bruckman Blog: https://kathyskwiltsandmore.blogspot.com IG: kathyskwiltsandmore

Friday September 15th
Susan Arnold Blog: www.quiltfabrication.com IG: quiltfabrication
Dorie Hruska Blog: http://www.forever-quilting.com/blog IG: foreverquilting

Island Batik - Back to School Blog Hop

Hi!  Welcome to Masterpiece Quilting !

I'm Nancy Scott and I'm one of the 2017 Island Batik Brand Ambassadors.  

I'm so excited you are participating in our Back to School Blog Hop and Thank You for stopping by my blog.  

The line that I am working with is Sakura - A Signature Collection by Kathy Engle for Ebony Love of LoveBug Studios.  You can see the full Sakura line on Island Batik's website.  Also be sure to check out all the beautiful quilts made with Sakura in the Island Batik Spring / Summer Catalog

Be sure to look for the Sakura line (as well as all the other gorgeous Island Batik fabrics) at your local quilt shop - they should be arriving soon!  If they don't have it in stock, don't be afraid to ask them about carrying Island Batik fabrics.  

Earlier this year, I made a small "Salesman Sample" to be used by the Island Batik sales reps featuring each of the fabrics in the collection.  In case I haven't said it before - I absolutely adore this collection - it is so ME!

For my Blog Hop project, I used my Black & White Express pattern but changed it up by using the full Sakura Collection.   Here's the original Black & White Express quilt. 

And here is my remake using the Sakura fabrics. 

I'm not sure which one I love the most - the pattern really showcases the fabric. 

As a special bonus to celebrate the Back to School Blog Hop, until the end of September, I have special pricing of $6.95 for pdf downloads on my Black & White Express pattern.  

I'm also giving away a pdf copy of the pattern. 

The giveaway is open to anyone with an email address so I can send you the pdf.  

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here about your favorite Back To School memory and for more chances head over and follow me on IG @MasterpieceQuilting and for even another chance, like my FB page Masterpiece Quilting. 

The winner will be chosen next Thursday, September 14th. 

Speaking of favorite school memories - mine was always recess!  Even though I was a good student, I was a farm kid - so I loved (and still do love) to be outdoors and recess was my only chance to run around, look at the sky and enjoy some sunshine.   So it's only fitting that I my quilt to the playground for a photoshoot!  

Here it is lounging on the bleachers.  By the way, this is a perfect sized quilt to make for watching fall sports. 

And then we tried out the swing - but we didn't have anyone to push us!

We had a lot more fun hanging out on the fence!  Aren't fences made for climbing anyway?

We tried the teeter totter but that didn't go so well !

And before the bell rang, we had to try out one last piece of equipment!

I hope you enjoyed my Back to School adventure and thanks for visiting my blog. 

The blog tour has just begun and continues until the end of the month.  Be sure to

check out the fat quarter bundle giveaway on the Island Batik blog as well as the

blogs of my fellow Island Batik Brand Ambassadors.

   Here are the dates and links:

WEEK 1

Monday, September 4 – Beaujolais
Quilting Affection Designs • FunThreads Designs

Tuesday, September 5 – Country Dozen
Cheryl Lynch Quilts • Inspired Layers

Wednesday, September 6 – Bonsai
Little Bunny Quilts

Thursday, September 7 – Sakura
Masterpiece Quilting

Friday, September 8 – Empress Garden
Dessert Bloom Quilting • Slice of Pi Quilts

WEEK 2

Monday, September 11 – Fresh Pick’ins
KISSed Quilts

Tuesday, September 12 – Lotus Blooms
Kathys Kwilts and More

Wednesday, September 13 – Olivera
Joan Kawano • Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

Thursday, September 14 – Rise & Shine
Den Syende Himmel • Sally’s Quilting Corner

Friday, September 15 – Diner Days
Ark Angel Creations • Karen Overton

WEEK 3

Monday, September 18 – Seas the Day
KISSed Quilts • Whispers of Yore

Tuesday, September 19 – Vineyard
The Inquiring Quilter • Inchworm Fabrics

Wednesday, September 20 – Abalone
PamelaQuilts • Yellow Cat Quilts

Thursday, September 21 – Batiks Go Retro
Adventures in Applique and Quilting

Friday, September 22 – Captain’s Anchor
Purrfect Spots Designs • Beaquilter

WEEK 4

Monday, September 25 – Cherry Berry
Freemotion by the River • Mary Mack Made Mine

Tuesday, September 26 – Lobster Bake
Seams to be Sew

Wednesday, September 27 – Solstice
Bejeweled Quilts • heARTs Creations

Thursday, September 28 – Sour Apple
Seams Like a Dream • Kauffman Designs

Friday, September 29 – Zen
Lizard Creek Quilting • Quilt’n Party

Piece and Quilt with Precuts & the Frequency Quilt Pattern

Hi!  I'm Nancy Scott and if you haven't visited my blog before - Welcome to Masterpiece Quilting!

I'm super excited to be part of Christa Watson's Blog Hop to celebrate the release of her new book, Piece and Quilt with Precuts, published by Martingale Publishing. 

I hope you have been visiting all the blogs this week and seeing the projects everyone is making from the book.  Here is Christa's post with links to all 30 quilters taking part of the blog hop. 

I made Christa's Frequency quilt and I want to take you step-by-step through my process.

First - fabric selection.  Honestly, this was the hardest part!  Once I decided on a Christmas theme, it was easy to pull some orphan precut strips along with fabrics from my stash and cut them to size. 

Next was the piecing.  This pattern lends itself to chain piecing so it was super quick and easy to sew together.

I tend to be a "planned layout" person, so I just had to take a leap of faith as I was assembling the blocks.  I tried to make sure I had my reds, greens and lights distributed well.  I was worried about nothing as the blocks looked great with the improv / scrappy look!

Next up was the quilting...  I'm a longarmer and Christa quilts on a domestic machine.  Some people would see that as a divide between us - but not me, I see the fact that we are both QUILTERS - united, not divided.  Since Christa includes quilting suggestions and directions in her book for each quilt, I just followed them but executed them on my longarm instead of a domestic machine.  Can anyone tell the difference?  Probably NOT!

So if you are thinking "this books not for me, it's for domestic machine quilters only"  - I kindly ask you to reconsider your thinking.  Longarmers, shortarmers, midarmers, anyone with a machine on a track system can benefit from the quilting designs in this book. 

And now the binding...  my trusty binding assistant Miss Lilly got into the action - well actually she snoozed thru the action !  But the quilt does have her "paw of approval"

Without further adieu .... my finished Frequency Quilt!

You can order your copy of Piece and Quilt with Precuts here.  It will be an excellent addition to your quilting library!  

Island Batik - August's Quilt As You Go

August normally gets a bad rap ... It's the end of Summer, it's the dreaded Back-to-School time and the Halloween candy is already in the stores - so if you want Thanksgiving themed plates and napkins, you better buy them now!  (Don't ask how I know - just trust me!) 

But as an Island Batik Brand Ambassador, August brings a new challenge.  It's Quilt As You Go month! 

I approached my Quilt As You Go project a little differently than other Ambassadors.  As a longarmer, I challenged myself to do my Quilt As You Go project on the longarm.   And yes, it can be done!   Here are the two luscious pillows I made using my leftover Island Batik Lake Life Collection precut strips.   I am absolutely adoring these pillows!  Plus they match our couch at home.

Okay - so how did I do this?    Well, to make it easy for you to follow along here is a link to the video I taped while I quilting them.  Quilt-As-You-Go Video

And to make them yourself, I have a FREE pattern available for download on my craftsy page, Quilt As You Go Log Cabin Pillows with materials list, cutting instructions and step-by-step guide. 

Have fun and happy quilting!

Island Batik - July Box Opening

I described my first Island Batik Brand Ambassador box opening as "better than Christmas" so I can't use that again ... but truly, I'm not sure how else to describe it ...  Better than Christmas in July !!!

Anyway, I could type away all day -  but if a picture is worth a 1000 words, then a video is worth a million words.

So the best way to share my enthusiasm about the gorgeous new Island Batik fabrics is share my video with you - so click on the link below and enjoy! 

Island Batik Box Opening

Island Batik - July's Oh Baby! Challenge

July - wow!  I can't believe it's already July....this year is flying by - but for once I'm ahead of schedule with my challenge quilt :)   And this one is super cute ... you will definitely want to get the pattern and make it!

This month our challenge as Island Batik Brand Ambassadors is Oh Baby! featuring baby and crib quilts.

Well, I've got this one covered...  Earlier this year, I released my Rory Baby Quilt pattern.

Something I have discovered is that when the word gets out that you are "a quilter" and you are invited to a baby shower, there is an unwritten expectation that you will gift a baby quilt.  Well, I hate to disappoint anyone - so I designed the Rory Baby Quilt pattern to ease the stress of quickly needing to make a super attractive, gift-worth baby quilt.   The quilt is designed around the background fabric and then you pull stash fabrics to coordinate. It's a Beginner - Confident Beginner level pattern and the finished quilt measures 39" x 45".

For the background of the cover quilt, I used a white fabric with lime, orange and pink dots and then pulled fabrics from my stash to coordinate to make a super cute, little girly girl quilt. 

For our Island Batik challenge, I remade the pattern using a Dotalicious batik along with lots of scrappy bright colors.  This made the perfect gender neutral quilt. 

To keep the quilt super functional and to get it finished quickly, I machine bound it using the  same techniques I teach in my best-selling Learn to Machine Bind Your Quilts video class available at Annie's Craft Store. 

Print patterns for my Rory Baby Quilt are available in my Etsy store or as a pdf download  on Craftsy.  

I hope you are able to make a Rory Baby Quilt and I would love to see a photo when you are finished.  Happy Stitching !

Island Batik - June's Curvilicious Quilts

It's June and let's get our curves on!!  

Okay - well maybe like me, you are curvy enough already but let's get some curves in our piecing this month!

Our challenge this month as Island Batik Brand Ambassadors is curved piecing... which for me can be a love - hate relationship.  I love the way they look but I sometimes hate to piece them!  Do you feel the same way about curved piecing?  

Since I knew this project would take a little more time, I started thinking about it several months ago ... and I've been thinking... and thinking .... and thinking ...  yes, OVER thinking the project.   I wanted to make sure I was showcasing the batik fabrics but I was struggling to come up with a design.   My most success with curved piecing has been when I used a template to cut the pieces.  So I got out my trusty Uneven Nine-Patch cutting ruler designed by Darlene Zimmerman and made by EZ Quilting.  I have made several quilts with this ruler before and have had great success. 

So I settled on making a table topper (because who can have too many table toppers!) and I decided to go with a Christmas colorway (since it's 6 months away, I might as well be able to say I already have something finished for Christmas!).  I selected my Island Batik fabrics and roughed out a design in EQ7.   

In the quest to be different I wanted to showcase the curves just on the edge of the table topper and let the Holly applique be the focal point in the center.   I'm super pleased with how it turned out!  I hope you enjoy it too and stay tuned as I do plan to publish a pattern for my Holly Table Topper.